Where WAS everything?

[alcazar]

Hi all. I had to drive from North Lincs to Crymych in South Wales on Saturday, to pick up a new short engine for the Impreza, and a mate came along, since he wanted to pick up a 205GTi gearbox in Manchester on the way home.

 

On the way home we took a short detour into Aberystwyth itself and called at the Vale of Rheidol Railway.

 

Aside from the fact that there are only TWO trains a day, and that we were smack in the middle of the four hour gap between trains, there was nothing to see apart form a ballast train, with no loco, and a diesel shunter with a VERY rusty diesel shunter, parked off the rails near the platform end, amongst what looked like a load of scrap.

 

There was what LOOKED like a steam loco body in the middle of the yard, but it was hard to say what it was, and another rusty boiler was near it.

 

There was, or seemed to be, no way in to have a look around, and no-one around to ask, so we left, without giving them any money, and disappointed.

 

Can anyone say where their locos were? I thought they had THREE steam locos?

[Bruce Depot]

Can remember riding on this when it was still under BR,also remember going around the shed with my staff pass.

 

Shame if its gone downhill then, is the line out of favour with some of the new action further North

attracting the visitors more??

 

cheers

Keith

[PaulRhB]

They had a long term restoration project dumped near the shed last time I was there, think it's a 2-4-4. Everything in good condition tends to be shut away, there is minimal staffing to keep a look out for it otherwise due to it's small commercial rather than volunteer workforce.

I found the crew, one riding on the front of the loco during a run round, making no attempt to get out the way for the patiently waiting photographers once coupled and looking really miserable a bit off-putting too.

Super line but they could do with a bit more customer friendly info on display.

I know these guys work hard but on several visits over the last 20+ years I've never been too impressed with the welcome.

[invercloy]

I agree that it's not too appealing an entrance and experience at the stations, but it is a superb ride.

 

They have 3 original locos and i think one diesel loco in service, plus the other diesel as you mentioned.

 

I believe items of the Phyllis Rampton Trust are also located there, so there may be all sorts of things since I last went. The last locos I saw awaiting restoration were some rather nice looking chunky Fowler tank locos.

 

I always got the impression that, when owned by the Brecon Mountain Railway, the BMR was their main base of operations with the workshops and the large station and the VoR was just the revenue earner with minimal facilities.

[John_Hughes]

I do agree that they really need to work hard on the publicity and friendly approach areas.

 

Although I only live a few miles away I haven't ridden the VoR for years now, although when I was a lad I was on it whenever I got a chance.

 

The trains aren't as comfortable as they could be with a bit of TLC - I'm a bit long in the tooth now to want to spend two hours sitting on slatted seats! - there's no buffet, no decent observation car, not even a Santa Special in December for the kids. And the sight of rotting disused coaches visible from the main road alongside the station is enough to put anyone off a visit.

 

And yet I know that the owners have spent a fortune in getting the track and the locos into good condition. It's such a shame that they've forgotten the whole PR bit.

[Guest Phil]

I do agree that they really need to work hard on the publicity and friendly approach areas.

 

Although I only live a few miles away I haven't ridden the VoR for years now, although when I was a lad I was on it whenever I got a chance.

 

The trains aren't as comfortable as they could be with a bit of TLC - I'm a bit long in the tooth now to want to spend two hours sitting on slatted seats! - there's no buffet, no decent observation car, not even a Santa Special in December for the kids. And the sight of rotting disused coaches visible from the main road alongside the station is enough to put anyone off a visit.

 

And yet I know that the owners have spent a fortune in getting the track and the locos into good condition. It's such a shame that they've forgotten the whole PR bit.

 

 

Have to confess I've not ridden the V of R since a class 40 hauled charter to Aberystwyth in the 1980s. At that time it was still owned and operated by BR with pukka BR staff. I cannot remember though, whether it was a Vof R loco or on loan Mountaineer from the Festiniog Railway which was my last trip.

 

It was reputed that BR ran the permanent way into the ground and it's acquisition by the Brecon Mountain Railway needed a massive amount of money spending on track to get it into a reasonable condition. Never seen any of this substantiated though. I also believe the BMR reinstated at least one of the crossing points which BR rationalised. Towards the end of BR's tenure they purchased a new diesel loco from a batch which were built at Swindon (?) works for export. This loco became No 10 in the BR fleet but was allegedly never a shining star. so BR sold the V of R to the BMR with 2-6-2ts 7-9 and 0-6-0 diesel No 10.

 

Not sure of the ownership of the line after the BMR took over except that all three V of R locos were eventually rebuilt with roomier cabs and air braking including the fitting of a westinghouse pump to the drivers side front tank. Also not sure if all three locos have ever been serviceable at the same time on the V of R since ownership passed from BMR to the Phyllis Rampton Trust.

 

 

As for slatted seats - I have a feeling that my last ride included this feature, although it might have been in one of the semi-open cars. From memory the GWR coaches were pretty austere, as were most Welsh narrow gauge 2nd or 3rd class coaches.

[PaulRhB]

Was this the rough looking loco you saw?

 

[Adam]

Some details - as far as I know, all that are readily accessible - on the Phylis Rampton Trust are available here:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Rampton_Trust

 

The rough looking loco in one piece is a Bagnall 0-4-4, which came from here. The one in bits is no. 7, Owain Glynd?µr. Presumably, they don't think the trafic warrants it, or the additional set of coaches, being serviceable. Not knowing the ins and outs I won't comment on how they choose to operate their railway, except to say that I might want to do it differently if it were mine, though the P-way looks to be in excellent order I must admit.

 

Adam

[Nicktuk159]

there's no buffet, no decent observation car,

 

There is a buffet at the top of the line ... but the rather large Wetherspoons that occupies the station buildings would seem to make the need for one at the Aber end superflous.

 

Most of the coaches are far more open than some of those on the scenicaly similar Ffestiniog ... and the 1st class observation car on the VoRR is, I would have thought, rather decent.

 

The links below are to a short video I made during a visit earlier this year, some still photographs and my personal postcard collection of the VoRR.

 

Video on youtube of my July 2009 visit

 

My July 2009 Visit - Photographs at both ends

 

Postcard views of the VoRR through the years

 

Nick

[PaulRhB]

The open sided coaches on the VofR do give a very good view and I suspect they were the inspiration for the same type now in use on the WHR. The whole railway is very well set up much like the Brecon Mountain they just don't have the same atmosphere as most of the other Welsh NG. I think the thing they miss is the enthusiastic volunteers, you only need a few around, who will smile and answer questions. You get grumpy looking people on all railways but there's nothing to balance it when I've been there.

[eastworld]

When I was in Aberystwyth last year I was surprised that there was absolutely nothing, apart from the NG track, to even suggest a railway was there (unless there was and I just didn't see it, which woule mean that it wasn't very obvious). There wasn't even a sign at the station. I would have thought such a scenic line was worthy of better promotion, especially a sign at the station. There were a couple of people who asked a railway employee about it and he replied that he knew nothing about it.

 

Bit of a shame really.

 

Stu

 

 

[John_Hughes]

My comment about the buffet was meant to be about a buffet car, which is lacking; sorry it wasn't clear! There is indeed a little cafe at the top, plus of course the rather decent pub at the bottom. But it would be lovely to have a beer while traversing the curves above Aberffrwd!

 

Putting my thoughts about the line into some sort of order, back in the 1960s Aber was swamped every year with posters for the line, and there was always a large banner promoting it at the front of the station; gradually this has all faded away, until now all we have are the timetable leaflets, which many people don't see.

 

In the intervening 40 years, most of the ng lines have found interesting and effective ways to boost the 'secondary spend' from their visitors: first class coaches, buffet cars, shops, Santa Specials, Ivor the Engine / Thomas the Tank weeks, steam galas and the like. The VoR seems to be the only line which hasn't picked up on this sort of thing, and their failure to do so must be costing them tens of thousands.

 

The tourism market in Wales is a highly competitive one (I know, I now run a company which is heavily involved in it!) and it really does grieve me to see so much potential go to waste. Aber deserves better!

[Poggy1165]

My wife and I had a ride on the VoR last year, and I agree that there is very little in Aber to let one know it even exists. I suppose most passengers do know, but the publicity department falls far below the standards of Colonel Stephens or Sir Sam Fay. It is a lovely run (as it always was) but the train wasn't especially well loaded and we felt that even in first class the seats were less than comfortable. Mind you, we were comparing with the WHR © that we had visited a day earlier and when it comes to comfort the WHR compares well even wiith the main line!

[Nickinwestwales]

Hi Alcazar-first up, Crymyrch is in West Wales (a subtle distinction I realise,but an important one-especially with the Welsh speaking villages up in the Prescelli`s)-Now back to the V.o.R-used to be that Aber was the centre of operations-last time I visited (see note elsewhere) there was a big spanking new shed up the line (the first passing point-the name escapes me-too much beer) -I suspect this has now become the centre of operations with the old loco shed at Aber just being used for carriage storage and the various sidings for the P.W gear...

You make a fair point about the service-2 trains a day is fairly sparse,at best,but I guess they have to cut their cloth according to their means-even oil-fired steamers are not cheap to run and half empty coaches don`t pay the bills....

The full summer service offers about 4 trains a day ( a tough gig with only one engine available,as was the case last time I was there)-Anyway-Aber on a fine spring morning is a lovely place to be-especially when you can have a cheap pint in Wetherspoons before the trip-and a grand Edwardian tea at the top of the line........

Hope your next visit is more sucessful....

ATB

Nick